Longitudinally shiftable switch blade



March 18, 1952 2,589,563

LONGITUDINALLY SHIFTABLE SWITCH BLADE Filed Dec. 18, 1947 6 E 1' Au GL1 ETMILLEFk WE W N Patented Mar. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES .I-QPATENT OFFICE LONGITUDINALLY SHIFTABLE SWITCH BLADE Edwin August Miller, Fairfield, Conn. Application December 18, 19417, Serial No. 792,477

This invention relates to an oscillating switch blade, and more particularly to a blade having a limited bodily movement with respect to relatively spaced base supports to which the blade is secured.

The shiftable blade about to be disclosed is an improvement on previous structures in that separate compression sprirr means controls the blade, the expansion of one spring means compresses the other.

The objects of the invention are to provide a rubbing contact-breaking of an engaged contact with a stop preparatory to a rubbing engagement of another blade-carried contact with another stop; and to provide the longitudinal movement of a blade with separate spring means of which the expansion of one means compresses the other.

Referring to the accompanying drawing the Figure 1 is a plan view of a blade template; Figure 2 is a top view of a mounted blade secured to relatively spaced base supports; Figure 8 is a side elevation of a mounted switch blade in one position relative to spaced stops; Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same blade in another position; Figure is a plan view of a modified blade; and Figure 6 is a side elevation of the modified blade.

With more particular reference to the accompanying drawing, the numeral I designates the resilient body of the blade; the extremities 2 and 3 thereof; 4 and 5 the relatively spaced base supports positioned intermediate the length of the blade body I; 6 and I the upper and lower contacts provided by the free extremity 2 of the body I. The extremity 2 of the blade body I is provided with a centrally extending arm 8 of reduced width and connecting the full width extremities 2 and 3, the extremity 3 having an opening therethrough at 9. A compressed spring I0, one end of which is carried by the rear portion of the extremity 3, the opposite end being secured to the base support 5. Companion compression arms II and I2 of which one end of each is carried by the free extremity 2 of the blade body I, and extending spacedly parallel with the central arm 8, the opposite ends of each of the compression arms II and I2 being secured to laterally spaced portions 4A and 4B of the base support. The actuator I3 movable transversely' to the plane of the blade body I is engageable with the upper surface I 4 of the resilient blade body I to operate the free extremity 2 of the blade body I from one to the other of two relatively spaced stops I5 and I6.

1 Claim. (01. 5260-67) 2 1 .,In providing for the longitudinal movement of the blade body I, the relative character and compressive force of both forward and rear v spring means Il-I2 and Ill should be such that 5 the forward spring means II-I2, upon the operation of the actuator I3 upon the blade body I, will have compressive force sufi'rlcient to compress the rear spring means ID by means of the longitudinal bodily movement of the blade body I as the forward spring means II-I2, held at one end by the forward support 4, exercises its force against the blade body I in a longitudinal direction.

To operate, the actuator I3 is pressed, manually or otherwise, into engagement with the upper surface, I 4 of the central arm 8 of the resilient blade body I. The movement of the actuator I3 jinitially shifts longitudinally the blade body I 5am to rub the contact 6 upon the stop I5, if j that contact 6 has not stuck in its engagement Itherewith. In any event. the pressed actuator ..I'3 will act as a kick-off of the blade body I with g, wiping effect of the contact 6 upon the stop LI5. A full operation of the actuator I3 forces the contact carrying extremity 2 of the blade body I into a snap-acting engagement of the contact I with the stop I6. The longitudinal movement of the blade body I is the result of the pressed contact extremity 2 being forced to fol- "low on the arc I8 because of the increased distance of circumferential travel over that of the are I! designating the reach of the free extremity 2 before the looped companion compression garms H and I2 exercise their combined blade body-shifting force upon being drawn closer to aligned relation to the plane of the blade body "I, the rear spring means II! being thereby further compressed as the blade body I is shifted. The moment pressure is applied to the actua- 40 tor I3, the blade body I begins its longitudinal movement at the same time the free extremity 2 starts it downwardly pendulous movement. ,lBefore breaking contact with the stop I5, the EYcontact 6 rubbingly slides along the stop I5 until 45 the blade body I is snap-actingly moved as aforesaid to engage the contact I with the stop IS in similar rubbing manner.

The actuator I3 is returned to its normal position upon pressure thereon being removed, by means of the reversed automatic movement of *"Ethe blade body I following the momentary en- "-;:i gagement of the contact 1 with the stop l5.

The Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a slight modification of the preferred form of device in that 55 instead of employing a looped leaf spring I0, a

coil spring I! is used, but the action of the operation of the modified form is identical with that of the preferred form.

In the Figure 6 of said drawing, additional stops I5A and IBA are shown adjacent the rear extremity 3 of the blade body I. Such stops 15A and ISA, although not illustrated by the Figures 3 and 4, may be employed thereby, as in Figure 6, as guards against ultra-movement of the rear extremity 3 of the blade body I,-especially when held by a coil spring means It.

I claim:

A-switch blade comprising an oscillating tension member; a base provided with spaced stops limiting the bodily movement of said blade therebetween; upper and lower contacts carried by one extremity of said blade,ioneof said contacts normally being in engagementwith one of said stops; rearwardly extending resilient companion compression arms of which both are normally under compression; rigid base supports relatively spaced one from the other intermediate the length of said blade, the opposite end of each of the said companion arms being secured to a separate portion of the forwardly-positioned one of said rigid supports; a rear resilient spring member normally not under compression, one end of which is carried by the rear extremity of said blade, the opposite end of said spring member being secured to the other of said rigid supports; and a push actuator movable transversely to the plane of said tension member and operably engageable therewith to move the contact extremity of said blade from one to the other of said stops upon a' forwardly release of the compressed condition of said compression arms thereby longitudinally shifting said blade and forcing the rear spring member under compression.

EDWIN AUGUST MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

